Jake Moody sparks strong reactions from San Francisco 49ers fans—most of them negative. The kicker struggled significantly last season, missing 10 of his 34 field goal attempts, with most of those misses coming after returning from a high-ankle sprain.
On Wednesday, general manager John Lynch acknowledged that rushing Moody back from such a significant injury—especially for a kicker—may have been a mistake. He also recognized that the former third-round pick remains a polarizing figure among fans.
"We still have a lot of belief in him, and we believe that the injury had a lot to do with that (his struggles)," Lynch said. "And we maybe kick ourselves for letting him come back [from the injury]."
Lynch also suggested that the 49ers could bring in competition for Moody, if only as a precaution.
"So that's something to keep tabs on, if we do decide to bring someone in," Lynch noted. "But we're very hopeful that [Jake], what we had envisioned for him, is still very possible."
49ers insider weighs in
Based on Lynch's comments, one 49ers insider believes Moody is still in line to be the team's kicker in 2025.
"They're not moving on from Jake Moody," Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area said Thursday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "Now, the question would be, if they bring somebody else in to compete with him, he's going to have to win that job."
As for Moody's future with the 49ers, Maiocco added, "But I'd say right now, if you were to ask me what the 49ers are going to do at kicker for the 2025 season, the prohibitive favorite is Jake Moody."
While Moody's struggles last season have made him a divisive figure among 49ers fans, Lynch and the team seemingly remain confident in his potential, hoping he can rebound from a disappointing 2024 campaign.